...It was a very humid day.

Not even a slight breeze was blowing... It had been an unpleasant summer—one that wasn't only hot, but swelteringly so.

There were various articles of clothing hung out to dry in the messy apartment windows, but the lack of wind evoked an impression far removed from coolness—in fact, it only felt more oppressive.

There were crooked houses and apartment buildings lining the narrow, twisting road.

In addition, there were planters and flowerpots whose contents were beginning to wilt, as well as bicycles and motorcycles on the sides of the road, making it even more cramped, more oppressive, and all the more sweltering.

Nobody who was in this place at this time was visiting it voluntarily.

...But in spite of what everyone might expect, a single motorcycle came rolling in...

The lone motorcycle, which couldn't be called 'neat' even as flattery, pulled up to a two-story apartment complex and stopped there.

A man, fairly old and wrinkled, stepped off.

...When the housewife hanging out the laundry noticed him, she called out.

"Well, heeello there!

It's quite hot today again, isn't it?"

"Hoo, you've got that right!

I feel like I'm gonna boil out here.

Eh-heh-heh!"

"Oh, right, Landlord,

I didn't think that would be the first thing you said."

"Ahhh, sorry, sorry~!

The fluorescent lights, right?

I completely forgot!

Ehehe!"

"No, not that. Don't you smell it?

There's a teeeerrible smell about.

I've been smelling it since this morning!"

"......Wait, what's this?

It reeks!

Did the sewers get backed up again?"

"Do something about it, Landlord!

I've had to keep my nose plugged all day long!"

"Eh-heh-heh!

You'd still look plenty lovely plugging your nose, my dear! Eh-heh-heh!"

There was an unhygienic drainage channel running behind the apartment.

The lattice from which it flowed was stuffed with branches and fallen leaves, and when filth got caught up in them, it created an awful stench in the summertime.

"Could you tell the municipal office about it?

The drain will end up buried at this rate!"

"Well, yikes!

It's completely blocked.

Eh, it'll start back up if you poke it with a stick."

The man crossed the fence over the drainage channel and picked up a filthy drying pole sitting nearby.

He must have planned to stick it into the drain and clear it out.

"Ah, wait, Landlord, stop that!

If you mix it all strange, if you do that...!

It will smell terrible!"

"Eh-heh-heh, it smells if it's clogged, and smells if it's mixed!

Which should I choose?

Heh-heh-heh!"

He shoved the drying pole into the filth in the lattice.

...Of course, it did nothing to help the accumulation of waste.

"Gyah...

It's a dead cat.

This is the health center's job!"

"Cats and dogs smell awful when they die.

...A bamboo pole's not going to do much good."

"Garbage bags, old clothes—they throw all kinds of stuff in there.

And is that a duck I see?

...Well, of course it stinks.

The nerve of some people!"

The drainage channel was already unsanitary—what was a little more garbage at this point?

...The stream of such imprudent people was never-ending, and now this channel had turned into a garbage dump.

When he poked the pile of old clothes floating in the sewage, a black cloud of smoke floated out in the water.

The two of them grimaced at the terribly bizarre and repulsive sight.

"Gah... We've got maggots, eh?

Someone must've thrown kitchen waste in..."

"...Wha... Landlord.

...What's that?"

"What? Just more garbage..."

"...La...Landlord, that's... that's!!"

"Heh?

......Eh?

...Eeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkk!!"

"Oh, hello!

Good work today."

"Ack, what a terrible stench!

Hey!

Someone cover this thing with a tarp!

From the second floor of the houses it's in full view!"

"Identity of the deceased, unknown.

Sex, female.

Age, estimated to be late 20s or early 30s.

Time of death, about two or three days ago.

She was probably abandoned after death."

"Naked, too?

Figuring out who she is will be rough.

Contact the community division and ask if anyone's gone missing."

"They probably weighed her down, so she'd sink.

Then the weights came off and she floated to the top.

...But why in a drainage sewer, of all things?

Would've been better under an overpass or in the mountains, you know?"

"And it would've been outside our jurisdiction, right?

But it looks like they never wanted to hide the corpse at all."

"Did they do it so she would be found? As a warning, or something?"

"This slice in her stomach definitely wasn't from a fish eating her.

She was cut open and her insides were dragged out.

They really made a show out of killing her.

Doesn't the Chinese mafia do these sort of traditional punishments?

Ask Shige-san in Section 4 if he's had any trouble with yakuza."

"On it, sir!"

"Still... what a terrible way to go.

Hey, don't her innards poking out like that look sort of like the salad soba you can get in Kyoto?

Maybe if you stuck chopsticks in, noodles would pop out. See?"

"...Urgh!

P-Please, give me a break..."

"Kah-hah-hah-ha!

Her intestines were pulled out, and her ears and nose cut off.

That's definitely not how I want to go.

Her fingers are in a bad state, too.

There are long nails stuck in all of them, on both hands.

What kind of torture was this, anyway?"

The most relaxing time during the school day? Lunch, for sure.

Everyone brought their desks side-by-side like always, and we all ate together.

"Oh, my!

Mion-san, if I may say, your lunch looks quite appetizing today!"

"...There are so many different things—it's wonderful."

Satoko and Rika-chan looked at Mion's lunch, shouting gladly.

...Let's have a look.

Whoa!

"I just packed in some leftovers from last night.

All the elders were having a drinking party at my house yesterday.

I managed to nab some of what they didn't eat."

"Ahahahaha! So that's why they all look like snacks you could have with sake."

"...Hmm.

...They're but leftovers—mere scraps of food—but when arranged in a bento box so cleanly, they look impressive!

It looks like part of a full-course meal at a high-class restaurant!"

"People seem to decide if they like things mainly based on their first impression.

So I thought maybe the taste of a bento would be proportional to how pretty it was when you opened it!"

"You may seem unrefined, Mion-san, but you are positively splendid at arranging food like this."

"Her room is nice and tidy, too.

Mii-chan is a lot more organized and polite than everyone thinks!"

...It's all the same once it's in your stomach!

I'd have thought Mion would say something like that—but to think she had this kind of taste!

...Hmm.

You can't judge a book by its cover.

Mion was careful in everything she did.

...She never misstepped, faltered, or messed up.

I see—she is our club president, after all!

"...Yours is nothing to scoff at either, Rena.

Your crab kamaboko flower is very pretty."

"You know, Rena, your lunch always has, like, an art to it.

Like it has rabbit-shaped apple slices and carrot flowers and stuff."

Rena's bento wasn't all about taste...

It was like, hmm.

Like she always puts her heart into it, or something.

It wasn't just good—it made your insides all nice and warm.

"Ahahaha!

Thanks.

It's not quite as good as Mii-chan's, but I wanted to make it really kyute, hau~!"

"Cooking isn't about skill—it's about love.

In that sense, I don't even come up to your feet!"

Love, huh?

...Yeah.

Just from looking at her bento, I could definitely feel that Rena put her heart and soul into making it.

That's what her bento was like!

"The taste isn't all that counts for a bento—how it looks also matters.

I suppose we must learn from this too!"

"Huh.

So, let's see Satoko and Rika-chan's up-and-coming bento!

Whoa...?!"

"...Ta-da."

"Wo-ho-ho-ho!

Yesterday our neighbors shared some meat with us, so we ended up grilling it for our bento!"

These ones, too... They had such an impact!!

They were bursting at the seams with grilled meat!

At a glance, it was too impactful for a girl's bento, but when you thought about eating with all your friends, it brought more than enough color to the table!!

"Wow.

...At first, it looks like the kind of crude bento that a jock would eat, but there are so many different things in here.

Like boiled spinach in soy sauce, and stewed hijiki."

"Rika-chan, you're really good at this kind of unaffected cooking, huh?

...Yep, I think Rika-chan will make a great wife when she grows up!"

"...I have a tight hold on my future husband."

...A husband for Rika-chan, huh?

......At first, that sounded appealing...

It did—but I felt like a married life with her would be anything but normal.

But really, everyone was amazing.

They were all so young, and yet they're all capable of cooking for themselves.

I would sort of cook whenever I went camping with my family... but making lunch every day was a level I definitely couldn't reach.

I could only really cook in my spare time.

When I thought about it like that, it really made everyone stand out more.

Frankly, I respected them.

......Hm?

...Huh?

...I feel like maybe this doesn't only apply to other people...?

...Come to think of it,

this morning,

when I was eating breakfast half-asleep...

I think my mom was saying something really impor...tant......

...Uh.

"Uh... Aahhhhhhh!!"

With a hysteric groan, I suddenly stood up, startling everyone at once.

"...W-W-What's wrong? Wrong?!"

"*cough* *cough*!!

You'll make us choke if you shout like that so suddenly, you know!!"

"...There's rice coming out of your nose, Satoko."

...I'd forgotten.

...All this stuff about cooking for yourself... It applied to me, too...!

"Keiichi?

Your mom and dad need to go to Tokyo again for business."

"...Hmmm.

...Yeah...?

*yaaaawn*~...

Sleepy..."

"Your dad's mentor fell ill right before an event he was taking part in.

It's a very important event, and they need someone to fill in."

...Well, Dad does what he has to do for his job.

...*chew* *chew*...

"So your dad and I, you see,

we need to go to Tokyo as fast as we can to help with the event.

We might have to stay there for a few days depending on what happens."

...That sounds annoying...

*yaaawn*...

"While we're gone, we won't be here, so you'll need to make your own meals yourself...

Are you okay with that, Keiichi?"

"...I'll be fine.

...Humans can do anything when they're desperate..."

"Is that so?

That's a relief.

You can at least cook rice, right?

And you can make miso soup as well.

Then you just buy some side dishes and you'll have a meal."

A meal?

...Yeah.

I can cook rice with my camping kit.

...Never used a rice cooker before...

*chew* *chew*...

...I've only ever made instant miso soup that you make in a pot of boiling water, too...

Well, I'll think of something...

*chew* *chew* *chew*...

"If you can cook for yourself, then you don't need much money, do you?

No eating out—it's too expensive.

You're at the age where you should learn about cooking and personal finances now, after all."

...Yep, yep...

I'll get by,

I'll get by...

"No I wooooon't!!"

What was I thinking... I was half-asleep and I made such crazy empty promises!?

Just like manga characters always do at times like these, I bent over backwards and scratched furiously at my head!

Scritch scratch!!

"Huh.

Keiichi-kun, your parents sure have it rough.

Anyway, you need to keep things in order while they're gone!"

"A-Anyway, food! Food!!

My parents aren't here! I have to make it all myself, you know!!

This is a huge emergencyyyy!!"

"Should you not simply give up and cook for yourself?

Keiichi-san, did you not make a fabulous curry dish for the curry party previously?"

"Uh... Listen here.

My mom taught me how to cook that curry when we camped, and it's the best I can do...!

I can't eat curry three meals a day!!

I mean, it's just junk food in the first place!!

There's no nutritional balance whatsoever, and it's just completely—

mgh!"

"S-Stupid, ssssshhhhhh!!"

Mion and Satoko put their hands over my mouth!

A moment later, the door rattled open... and Chie-sensei, a known curry maniac, suddenly poked her head in.

"...Did I just hear somebody badmouthing curry?"

"""N-N-N-No, we didn't say anything!"""

Everyone's faces went totally white and they all shook their heads in denial.

Her eyes rolled over the classroom—her glare wasn't just a teacher's ordinary stare...!

"......Is that so?

...Must have been the wind..."

Chie-sensei gave one more look around the classroom,

then closed the door and went back to the teacher's lounge...

...I may have been shouting, but for her to hear it from all the way across the hall in the teacher's lounge... That teacher is terrifying...

"...Kei-chan.

You can disparage other foods all you want... but you might want to stay away from curry.

At least, as long as you live in Hinamizawa!"

"...Mgh, okay.

I'm sorry..."

That's what I said...

but still... I can't have curry for every meal.

And cup ramen is good because you only eat it once in a while—if you ate it for every meal, you'd get bored of it pretty quickly.

Rice and miso soup, and a good side dish... Yeah, that's what a Japanese table should look like.

"Why can't you just try to cook for yourself?

Rice you make yourself is really good."

"This old man thinks it's more a pain than good.

But experiencing it every once in a while might be nice!"

"That's right! Life is all about experiences, right?"

"...But when you cut your fingers or burn yourself, it's so sad, so very sad."

...With everyone encouraging me like this, I started to feel like maybe I could do it if I tried, too.

(Though approximately one person didn't sound like she was encouraging me...)

Cooking is a skill I'll have to learn at some point, since I want to live on my own one day.

...Maybe learning now wouldn't be so bad...?

...I'm pretty uneasy about it, but...

"You're right...

If I don't understand how to cook a few things around here, then I won't be in good shape the next time our club does a cooking showdown."

"Ohh-ho-ho-ho!

You are correct!

That clever trick of yours in the last curry contest won't work every time, after all!"

As if scorning me, Satoko ridicules my comeback from a hopeless situation in a certain do-or-die curry showdown.

"And what are you so relaxed for?!

You relied entirely on Rika-chan back then, didn't you?!

What did you cook at the time, exactly?!

You put a bag of salt in Rena's curry,

a bag of salt in Mion's rice,

...and you flipped over my pot!!"

I relapsed into my grudge over the last curry showdown!!

For now, I calmed my unquellable anger by pinching Satoko's ears.

"Owwwwwww!!

My attack was because that's what they were doing for club!!

I may not look like it, but I can do a little bit of cooking!"

"Can you, now?!

Even when you couldn't peel one carrot during the showdown and had to get Rika to do it?!

Don't be so daft!!"

"People get better every day, you know!!

If you think I'll always be crummy at cooking, then you're quite mistaken!!

Right, Rika?!"

"...I have to watch or else I get worried about the pot and the flame.

Sometimes you forget to turn the gas off, too."

Wah-ha-ha-ha!! Everyone burst into laughter.

"That shouldn't be an issue with cooking!!

Even I would never do that!"

"I don't want to hear that from someone who eats nothing but cup ramen!!"

"But, but... Satoko can cook pretty well for herself, you know?"

"Rena, it's fine, you don't need to force yourself to cover up for her like that."

"No, I'm not trying to cover for her or anything.

It's just that Rika-chan's cooking is by far the best of all of us, so hers doesn't stand out.

Satoko has mastered the basics too, right?"

"...At the very least, I can cook rice and miso soup."

"Weeell, she can't quite tell the difference between cauliflower and broccoli, though☆."

"T-They're both the same anyway once you boil them!!"

Satoko erupted into anger, making two fists and swinging them above her head.

Everyone laughed a lot after that.

"Wah-ha-ha-ha!!

Gaaahhh-ha-ha-ha-ha!!"

"Mgaahhh!!

The others don't matter!

I cannot stand being laughed at by you, Keiichi-san!!"

"Gah-ha-ha-ha!

Yes, perhaps I do lag behind everyone else in terms of cooking skill.

But at least I'm confident I'd never lose to you, Satoko!

Not to you, at least!"

"Wh-What was that?!

You have the gall to say you're confident... That's what's daft here!!!

I might not seem like a good cook, but I take turns with Rika, you know!!

I can cook just fine for myself, thank you!!"

"I see, I see.

Good for you for being able to cook~.

I'll buy some candy for you as a present later~."

I patted Satoko on the head while I made fun of her.

...Satoko seemed to know I was making fun of her, too, since her face went bright red very quickly, and steam started to pour out like she was a kettle.

"Mgaaahhh!!

You don't believe me, do you?!

Anyway, aaannnyyywwwaaayyy!

I can cook far better than you can, Keiichi-san!!"

"I see!

Then if you can tell me the difference between cauliflower and broccoli, I'll believe you.

Come on, let's hear it."

"...Mmgh...

umm...

the green one is broccoli...

...or, no... the yellow one...

Cauliflower is...

blue...

red...

...green...

...mgghhh...!!"

"Come on, now.

What color is broccoli?

Blue, red, green? It's not a television!

Come on, say it, say it!"

"......Mgggghhhh...!!!"

"Satoko can cook just fine without knowing what color bwoccoli is, wight~?

Good for you, good for you~~!!"

"...Waaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!

Stupid Keiichi!!

Waaahhhhhh!!"

Oh, it was nothing to cry hysterically about.

...She's so god damn cute.

I stroked her head as hard as I could.

Ruffle ruffle ruffle!

"Hmm!

If you're going to act so smug, then you can surely show us something better than Satoko...!"

remarked Mion, giving me just a slightly mean smile.

Actually, well... I had no confidence at all in my cooking.

But the situation carried me along, and I decided to deliver an impressive declaration.

"Just you wait.

Tonight, I will make the best darn meal you've ever seen!

I'll even make a little too much and pack it for lunch tomorrow—you'll be so surprised you'll fall over!!"

"...That sounds like fun.

I can't wait for lunchtime tomorrow."

Rika-chan petted me on the head.

...mgh, her words of "can't wait" sounded so transparent...

"Ahahaha.

Rena is excited too!

I promise I won't laugh no matter what you make!"

"All right, so... Maybe I'll go all-out on my bento tomorrow too.

...Then let's do this!

Let's have a bento showdown tomorrow!

As a club activity, of course!

And we'll throw in a punishment game, too!"

"My, what an ingenious idea that is!!

How is that, Keiichi-san?

I'll give you one chance to back down!"

Satoko wiped her tears and snarled at me, as if this was her chance to turn things around...!!

...Uh...

...maybe... this is bad...?

I feel like... maybe the conversation is getting pretty out of hand...

Oh, if I apologize... now's my chance...?

But what came out of my, Keiichi Maebara's, mouth was a statement so reckless it even frightened me.

"Yeah!! You're on!!

My bento tomorrow will knock you right out of your shoes!!"

"""Whoaaaa...!!!"""

Everyone raised their voices in surprise at my bold, confident reply...!

...Aaagh... Now I've done it!

What have I done... I'm so irresponsible...!!

"So, Mion-san?

What sort of fantastic punishment game will we have to play if we lose?"

Satoko grinned fearlessly.

...As if to say that it was already decided I'd be playing said fantastic punishment game.

"...Ku-ku-ku...

Let's see.

...Okay, how about this?

...Whoever loses tomorrow's bento showdown...

during lunch break tomorrow,

has to go up to Chie-sensei as she's eating in the teacher's lounge...

and say bad things about curry!!"

"M-Mii-chan!!

T-That's...!!!"

"...How...

How terrifying...!!"

Everyone went pale and gasped... at how truly terrifying the punishment game was...

...Chie-sensei is such a maniac about curry that she'd risk her life for it...

And to go up to her... and start saying bad things about curry...?!

What kind of fate would await us...?

Just trying to imagine it was scary.

And as everyone looked blankly amazed at the terrifying punishment game... Rika-chan spoke.

"...Tomorrow's contest will be decided by skill."

Rena, and Mion, and Satoko. Everyone nodded deeply in agreement.

"Although Keiichi-san's problem might be his own dinner tonight, rather than tomorrow's bento...

Ohh-ho-ho-ho!"

"Hah!

How disappointing that you can't witness what an amazing dinner I'm going to make tonight!!

I'll let you have a glimpse of it in my bento tomorrow, so look forward to it!!"

"That is quite a lot of grandstanding.

...You do know what will happen if you come to us with something terrible, right?!"

"Ku-ku-ku-ku!!

I just can't wait... how much trouble you'll be in with Chie-sensei tomorrow, Satoko!!

Ku-ku-ku-ku!!"

"Yes, I can't wait, either!!

To see you, Keiichi-san, groveling before her and begging for forgiveness~!!

Saying it all with tears streaming down your face!!

Yes, I can just see it now!!"

"Wh-What was that?!?"

Yank!

"Mgaahhhhhh!!!"

Stretch!

Both of us, on the verge of tears, pull on each other's cheeks...!!

Stretch!

"Ah-ha-ha-ha!

Trying to muster all your desperation by placing yourself in a predicament...

Kei-chan, that's so manly!!"

"That isn't manly or anything of the sort!

It is called being reckless!

He can't even cook well!

Stretch!!"

"Ahahahaha.

Rena believes in you!

I'm looking forward to your wonderful bento!"

"...I'm looking forward very much to seeing Keiichi tomorrow as well."

...Their expectant gazes were painful...

...I was just trying to tease Satoko a little... How did it come to this...?!?!

"Y-Yeah...

You'd better look forward to it...!

Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!"

Aaagh...!

How... How am I able to say such reckless things?!

I'm being so unreasonable... What the heck is going to happen to my dinner?!

And the bento showdown tomorrow?!

No, more importantly... If they make me say bad things about curry to Chie-sensei's face... what'll happen to me...?!?

The extreme contrast between my outward bravado and my internal screaming continued as the hot and humid June afternoon dragged on...

That entire day.

...Up until school was over,

the whoooole time.

...My meal tonight and my bento tomorrow were the only things on my mind.

...And now that I thought about it...

It made Mom seem amazing for planning three meals every day of the year.

...I've complained before about having the same meal in a row once in a while, but now I know how rude that was...

Aaagghh... More importantly... What am I gonna do about the punishment game tomorrow...

And besides that, what am I gonna eat tonight...?

Boo hoo...

"Keiichi-kun?

Keiichi-kun...?"

"...Huh?

Oh, sorry...

I-I was just thinking about stuff..."

"About what to make tonight?

Or about the bento showdown tomorrow?"

...Urk.

...She hit the mark, and I couldn't find anything to say.

And my facial expression made obvious the fact that she hit the mark.

"For tomorrow's showdown, I think that if you do your best to make a bento, you'll be fine.

There's nothing superior to a bento you tried really hard to make all by yourself."

"...Tomorrow's showdown is one thing, but what about dinner tonight...

I might suddenly get food poisoning..."

I couldn't make any more bluffs...

I exaggeratedly drooped my shoulders, and heaved a sigh from the bottom of my gut.

Rena laughed in a shrill way when she saw me do that.

"Keiichi-kun, you don't have any confidence in your cooking at all, do you?

Ahahahaha."

So I've been found out... ugh...

"If it looks like you can't do it no matter how hard you try, you can always give Rena a call!"

"Eh... R-Really...?!"

"But only if you try really hard first, okay?

You can't rely on others without first struggling yourself."

Rena seemed naive, but sometimes she was instructive.

She didn't just spoil people unconditionally.

Rena always seemed like an adult at these moments.

"...If I absolutely can't do it, I'll call you.

...Though the chances are extremely high."

"Go for it, yay!

You were grandstanding so much to Satoko-chan that you have to try your best!"

"Hey, about Satoko... How good is she at cooking...?"

"Ahahaha.

She's at least better than you."

That was so direct.

...It hit me pretty hard.

"You were making fun of her a lot, too.

...Maybe you should have to struggle just a little, huh? *giggle*"

"...Urghhhh...

Rena... You're pretty mean..."

"Rena isn't all cute, all cute!

Ah-hahahahahaha!"

Ahhh... Now that I'd provoked Satoko that much, I couldn't just make some crummy bento...

Aahhhh... I can't believe... how loose-lipped I am...!

"Okay, bye.

Good luck.

On the cooking!

Show everyone that you can do it if you really try!"

"Y-Yeah..."

I waved my hand absently in response.

...Leaving me with words of encouragement and a few pieces of super-beginner advice, Rena disappeared past the trees...

Fine, I'm desperate—so what?

...I may not know the ABCs of navigation—and I have neither a sea chart nor a compass.

...But still, one idiot is taking on the ocean of the great cooking age alone!

And his name is... Keiichi Maebara!!

"Let's go!!

Time... to cook!!!"

My enthusiasm is peerless!

If energy and recklessness was all it took, I could take over the world!!

......However.

There are plenty of things in the world that can't be achieved with resolution alone.

...And cooking was probably the top contender.

Therefore, even if it was hastily-prepared knowledge... I wanted something to help me!

I made up my mind and fished through the kitchen cabinets.

...I was on the hunt for a cookbook.

My mom should have had a few of them...

For a complete amateur like me, the first thing I needed was information.

Just like he who would cross the oceans needed a compass.

For me, a cookbook was absolutely indispensable!

...Oh, here's one!

Its worn-out, wrinkled cover made it feel somehow reliable.

...Okay!

As long as I've got this...!!!

It's easier to give it a shot than think about it, right~?

Anyone can concoct the tastes of a gourmet chef as long as they have a cookbook~☆.

Cookbooks are great~..."

...And as such optimistic thoughts filled my chest,

I flipped through the pages.

......However.

"............Whoa."

...It played with technical terminology like toys—I just couldn't see how to actually make things.

...Ah... You knew it all along, Keiichi Maebara...

...If anyone could make delicious food just by reading a book...

then there would be no such job as a gourmet chef in the first place...!!

First off, it calls for three "teaspoons"... But which spoon is that?!

And it keeps saying to use however much you like!!

How much exactly are you supposed to use?!

Stop using such obscure expressions!!

Strain out the water in a colander... Add salt and pepper to taste...??

What the heck is a colander?!

And strain it out... Like stretching? You can't stretch water droplets like meat!!

Agh, and besides, how much salt and pepper is that supposed to be, anyway?!

"Urgaaaahhhhh!!

Aren't there any beginner-friendly guides in here?!"

It won't do you any good to yell...

...Cool off, Keiichi Maebara...

Think calmly, calmly...

F-For now... I'll leave the side dish until after.

...The rice is more important.

Have to cook the rice, or I can't start...

I know a little about how to cook rice.

I didn't cook it with my camping kit when camping all the time for nothing.

I'll wash the rice...

That should be enough water.

...And... which switch is it...?

Is it this button?

Oh, the lamp turned on!

Yeah, yeah—fully-automatic rice cookers are one of the Three Sacred Treasures, after all...!

Now pleased by the rice cooker set, I pulled myself together and decided to take on the miso soup next.

The miso soup I made at day camp was all the instant kind, after all...

Well, it would be fine if I just melted the miso into hot water, no doubt.

...I'll boil the water...

And put in the miso.

...Huh?

How much should I put in?

"Let's see here...

...Use the proper amount according to the number of people and your tastes...?

...Enough with the vague expressions!!!

Ah, fine, then I'll put in the 'proper amount'!!"

I crushed the bag of miso in my fist and put half of its contents into the pot!

W-Was this really okay...?

Maybe this was a little too hearty...?

"...Mm-hmm.

They do say miso soup is best when it tastes strong.

Come to think of it, my mom's miso soup is a little thin.

Maybe I'll like it better with this much in it!"

I said it aloud as if trying to convince myself.

Then, convinced by my own words, I nodded to myself...

All right, the rice and miso soup were (probably...) fine.

...Next... the side dish!!

But... What should I make...

Something I could make... that would add color to the meal...

...Hmm......

That's it—why don't I stir-fry some vegetables?!

You can eat vegetables raw too, and they won't die just from a little bit of fire...

...I was so cute then, not realizing that the level of my thoughts had fallen from 'what would look great in a meal' to 'what would be easy to make'...

There were quite a few vegetables in the refrigerator.

...Hmm, what kind of vegetables go in a stir-fry...?

Bean sprouts?

Cabbage?

Chives?

Onions?

Can you put cucumbers and lettuce in...?

For now, I grabbed a nearby cutting board, cut them into chunks, and tossed them into a wok.

This has gotten pretty exciting...

Is the true worth of men's cooking?

Hey, this is actually getting kind of fun...!

All of a sudden, there was a pile of vegetables in the wok.

All right, next is the salad oil!

Glug, glug, glug went the salad oil...

It'd be more exciting if I filled it to the brim.

...Whoops, a bit leaked out...

Well, no point in worrying about something so minor.

The great Keiichi Maebara's cooking is exciting!

Okay, let's turn on the heat.

......Bwp!

Fwoooshhhh...

The salad oil filling the wok to the brim caught fire... and flames reached up to the sky...!!

"A-Amazing!

Maybe I can be an iron chef too...!!

What if I'm really good at cooking with fire...!!!"

Those words were spoken by delusion...

I was saying something outrageously careless... but when the words came out, they sort of convinced me...!

"Gah-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Yes, I am an iron chef!!

...Ow, hot hot hot!!"

...Right as the crazy pillar of flame started to burn the ceiling,

I finally realized that the fabulous cooking before my eyes had culminated into an actually life-threatening disaster...

Wait... what?

...Could I...

Could I have been...

doing something insane...?

The force of the flame grew stronger and stronger...

Wait, whaaat... what...??

"G-Gyaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!

What in the world are you doing?!

You must stop the flames this instant!!"

Ker-thwack!!

Somebody forcefully struck me in the back of the head!

When I turned around to see what was going on, to my surprise, I saw Satoko and Rika-chan there.

"Eh?!

Satoko?

Rika-chan...?"

As I stood in wonder at their unexpected entrance, Satoko shoved me out of the way and turned off the gas.

Then Rika-chan got a towel, soaked it in water, spread it out, and placed it over the pot.

She continued to soak more towels, and put a second on, then a third...

Once a whole bunch were piled on, the fire finally stopped.

...All of it had happened in a few moments.

Having avoided a huge fire by a hair's breath, the three of us gasped for air...

"...Wait, what are you doing in my house?!

You're trespassing on private property!!"

"Yes, well, Keiichi-san, you've been caught red-handed in the act of arson!

It was just about to turn into a huge building fire, wasn't it?!"

"...It would be very, very sad if Keiichi was homeless after this."

And after pretending to be an iron chef... I finally began to take in the situation...

"......Urgh...

S-So... that was really about to set the house on fire...?"

"Is that not obvious?!?

Just look at it!!

The ceiling is all sooty, is it not?!

Chimneys are the only things that should be sooty!!"

Satoko was seriously mad at me.

...Maybe they saved my life...

According to what they said...

I was so absorbed in my fiery cooking that I hadn't noticed when Satoko and Rika-chan rang the doorbell.

But they could tell someone was home, so they came in to check.

...Thank goodness... they did...

"...If Satoko and I hadn't come, the fire engines would have been going wee-ooo right now."

"Keiichi-san, do you understand now how serious this was?"

At some point, I had sat down on my knees as I listened obediently.

"Urk...

...I-I'm sorry.

...You two saved my life..."

"We thought we would come and see what a fabulous dinner you made!

But as we thought, it's a mess!

At this rate, we won't even need to look at your bento!"

"...Urk, you're mean.

...So you and Rika-chan came all this way just to see what I'd make for dinner...?!"

"Us being mean saved your house and your life—is that not something to take to heart?"

"...Urk...

Ugh, yes, I'b sowwy Satoko-san..."

At this point, having shown them such a disaster, I couldn't exactly make any more bluffs...

I'd completely surrendered...

"And yet you tried really hard on the curry.

Where did the Keiichi-san from back then go?

Geez!"

"Urk...

I had all our underclassmen help me then,

and just borrowed entire pots from the other teams...

I didn't really cook anything..."

"Keiichi-san, you cheated?!?!

...Geez, you might have been doing what our club usually does, but that was terrible!"

...Pouring salt into the other teams' pots seemed far more terrible to me...

But Satoko was in control right now, so I couldn't respond.

I obediently hang my head to her.

"...By the way, Keiichi-san.

...This terrible pot.

...This wasn't supposed to be miso soup, was it...?"

Satoko stared at the pot, totally full of miso, with an awful expression...

Ahhh... so I really did get the amount wrong...

Judging by the look on Satoko's face... whatever was in the pot couldn't be called miso anymore...

"F-Forget the miso soup—t-the rice should be cooked just fine!

Rice cookers these days are pretty convenient!

It should be just about done...!"

"...Meep.

It's not cooked.

See—the inside is still all watery."

"Eh?

What?!

But I switched it on, and the little light came on...!"

"...Keiichi-san.

The button you pushed...

was the timer button, okay?

It's set for breakfast... so it won't turn on until tomorrow morning."

"G-Gyaahhhhhhhhhh...!!

So then, what?!

In the end... I don't have a side dish, or miso soup!

Or even rice!!

I couldn't make anything myself?!?!"

"Ohhhh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!!

It serves you right!!

So?

Have you finally realized your place?

Come!!

Admit it!!

Say it—I, Keiichi Maebara, am all bark and a much crummier cook than Satoko Houjou-san!!"

"Migyaahhhhhhh!!

I'm a terrible person and a crummier cook than Satoko!!!

I beg your forgiveness!!!

Ugaahhhhhh!!"

I fainted in agony.

Rika-chan pat my head, satisfied at the sight.

...And Satoko laughed loudly in triumph.

...Ahhh... I've completely lost...!

...In the end, I talked big, but couldn't make a single dish adequately.

At this rate, I'll go without dinner...

And tomorrow morning, no breakfast—and no bento for lunch, either.

...I didn't know how many days it would be before my parents returned... but at this rate, without a doubt...

"I-I'll starve to deeeaaaaattthhh...!!"

"Meep~~~~~~♪!!!"

"Of course, I'll have no bento tomorrow either!!"

"Meep~~~~~~♪♪!!!"

"And I'm sure to get the punishment game tomorrow!!

Gyaaahhhhhhh!!!"

"Meep~~~~~~♪♪♪!!!"

Rika-chan kept on patting my head with a smile on her face that couldn't possibly get any bigger......

Satoko, completely appalled at how unsightly I looked, heaved a heavy sigh.

"...Adult men are just so pathetic, aren't they?

...Come on!

Please, move yourself out of the way!"

As I sobbed like a girl, Satoko, displeased, brushed me aside, dumped the remains of the miso soup into the sink tidy, then began to rinse out the pot.

"D-Don't worry about it, Satoko...

I can at least clean up after my own mess...!"

I couldn't have Satoko clean up the cooking utensils I'd made a mess of.

But when I tried to stop her, Rika-chan pulled on my clothes.

"...Keiichi, you can just be silent and watch."

She grinned as she said it.

"B-Be quiet and watch... What are you saying, Rika-chan?!"

"...She meant just what she said.

Keiichi-san, just be quiet and leave this to me."

Satoko turned around and declared, seeming bothered.

...As if to say that amateurs should keep their hands off.

Her annoyed expression was a little scary.

"Leave what to you...?"

Satoko didn't answer—instead she spun back around and began to rifle through the pots and the refrigerator.

"Hey, wait... Don't mess with them too much...!

If you turn the place inside out, my mom might get mad at me later...!"

"Would you just be quiet already?

Men aren't supposed to enter the kitchen!

Rika!"

"...Aye aye sir~"

Satoko snapped her fingers, and Rika-chan got on her tiptoes, grabbed me by the back of my neck, and started dragging me away. Ahhh...

Leaving Satoko alone in the kitchen, Rika-chan dragged me back into the living room.

"Hey, stop... Rika-chan.

Let me go already...!

If we leave it to Satoko, the kitchen will be a disaster...!"

"...Satoko came to see how she beat you today.

It's her revenge."

"R-Revenge...?!

Come to think of it... Her face looked kinda grim..."

Eventually, from the kitchen, there was the sound of a faucet being twisted and a stove dial being turned.

I began to hear the nostalgic sounds that made me envision dinnertime; the refrigerator opening and closing, ingredients being cut on the chopping board.

What did that mean?

Was Satoko... Was she cooking??

"...Keiichi made fun of her quite a lot.

Satoko wanted to show you that she can cook proper meals too."

"...Urk.

...Just listening to it like this...

There haven't been any sounds of blood spilling, or bursting, or explosions..."

...At this point, at least, she had proven she was a more skillful cook than me.

In the cooking showdown with Satoko Houjou vs. Keiichi Maebara... it looked like victory had already been decided...

I recalled Satoko's slightly annoyed expression from before.

"...I was making fun of Satoko too much today, wasn't I...?

Is she... holding a grudge...?"

We were just provoking each other with our usual back-and-forth.

...But I also think I maybe overdid it...

...At the very least, I shouldn't have made fun of Satoko, who could cook for herself, when I'd never cooked other than for recreation before...

"...Satoko isn't holding very much of a grudge."

"But she came all the way to my house and pushed her way in.

...She's gotta be mad..."

I quietly took a peek into the kitchen.

She definitely looked different than the usual birdbrained Satoko.

Her eyes were sharp, and her movements were brisk... to the point where it was a little scary.

Then, she must have noticed me, because she turned around and shot me an annoyed glare!

...I cringed in fear and hastily pulled my head back out.

"She's mad...!

She's totally mad...!

...Ahhh, how will she take revenge on me...?

Aahhhhh..."

"...That's just Satoko being serious because she doesn't want to fail.

She isn't angry or anything."

"How can you say she isn't angry?!

I've never seen Satoko be this frightening!"

"Keiichi-san!! I can hear that, you know?!"

"S-Sorryyyy!!"

I jumped at Satoko's angry outburst and faced towards the kitchen.

...I felt exactly like a kid who had done something bad and gotten called to the teacher's lounge.

"Where do you keep the miso?!

The refrigerator is so big that I don't see any of it anywhere!"

"I-I-I'm sorry!!

The miso is... It's on the middle shelf in the fridge, at the back left of the lower rack..."

"W-What is this?

You need to close the miso package after you finish with it!

It's getting the inside of the refrigerator dirty, isn't it?!"

"Gyagya! I'm sorry!!"

Before I can look for something to wipe it with, Satoko wiped it off with a wet dish towel.

"I swear. How are men so bad at cleaning up after themselves?

I shudder to think that you'll become an adult like this!"

Urgh.

...I couldn't talk back to Satoko today...

The only thing I could do was obediently lower my head and apologize.

As Satoko nitpicked and I apologized, a good smell began to fill the kitchen.

"This is how you prepare the miso for the soup!

You scoop a little out with the ladle and break it up with chopsticks!

It's important to add a little at a time and keep tasting it.

Dumping the entire thing into the pot is absolutely outrageous!!"

"Urgh, I'm sorry!

I never paid attention in home ec class...!"

"You're pathetic!

I swear.

Men!

...Grumble grumble."

I cowered at her annoyed-sounding muttering.

...But looking at her like this, she seemed quite good at cooking.

...It had just been overshadowed by Rena's and Rika-chan's artistic abilities. Satoko's skills were clearly enough to get passing marks.

"Hey! If you have time to zone out like that, then you can go set the table!

Rika and I will be eating too, so set three places!"

"Ah... On it!!"

I hastily took a three people's worth of dishes and such from the cabinets and headed to the dining room.

When I returned there, I could hear laughter from a variety show on the television.

Rika-chan was sprawled out on the couch, watching television and relaxing.

When she noticed me putting the dishes out on the table, she came scampering up.

"...Dinnertime is soon.

Dinner at Keiichi's house.

Nipah~☆."

"Rika-chan, you're in a good mood...

That's a pretty big difference from Satoko..."

"...Satoko isn't in a bad mood at all.

She's enjoying herself more than she has in a long time."

"Enjoying herself?

Seriously?!"

"She's like how she was when her Nii-nii was with her.

It really has been a long time since I've seen Satoko look like she's having so much fun."

...Nii-nii?

What the heck is nii-nii?

Is it a sound cats make???

"...'Nii-nii' means 'brother.'

Satoko's older brother."

"Satoko's... older brother."

"...He's named Satoshi.

Haven't you heard his name before?"

Satoshi.

...Satoshi Houjou?

Maybe I have, maybe I haven't.

...At least, he didn't go to our school.

"Satoshi, huh?

Satoko's older brother...

...Hmmm.

That's the first time I've heard of him."

She had a brother, huh?

I didn't know that.

"She does have one."

Saying that, Rika-chan grinned even more brightly and went "nipah" again.

"...When Satoko was with Satoshi, she always looked like she was having fun, just like this.

...It really has been a long time since I've seen Satoko enjoying herself this much."

However I looked at it, she seemed to be in a bad mood...

But her good friend, Rika-chan, was saying that it was actually the opposite.

"Is she really... enjoying herself?"

"...She must be remembering the time she spent with her Nii-nii.

...It's nostalgic."

"Nostalgic?

Huh.

Then does he live apart from Satoko?"

Maybe Satoko's older brother Satoshi is actually a lot older than her?

He must have gone off on his own and was living by himself far away.

"Satoko seems like she got along well with this Satoshi person."

"...She did.

The two of them got along very well."

She spread her arms wide to demonstrate the width of how well they got along.

According to Rika-chan...

...Satoko supported her docile, slightly unreliable older brother through nagging.

That was their relationship.

...I see.

That certainly applied to the current situation...

We had me, unreliable, unable to cook even a single dish properly, and Satoko, who redid it while scolding me.

Could Satoko have been...

...getting a glimpse of her brother, who now lived far away, through me?

"So she would always nitpick whatever Satoshi did...

but she firmly supported him, and they got along well..."

"...Today, she was the one.

She suggested we should go to Keiichi's house."

She said: there's no way the unreliable Keiichi-san could possibly make dinner.

We need to go make it for him.

"...Then... she didn't come here to get revenge, or to get even, or anything like that..."

"...She couldn't leave you alone.

Even now, Satoko is a proper little sister."

I was an only child.

I didn't know how it felt to have siblings.

...Of course, I've never had a little sister, like Satoko.

But...

I felt that in this moment, I was an older brother, obediently and helplessly being looked after by her.

Without any teasing or messing around.

...I'm going to give thanks for her trouble.

......That's what I honestly thought.

"Keiichi-san!

Do you know where on earth the ladle is?!"

"Ah, sorry, sorry...!

The ladle should be in the drawer to your right...!"

I ran into the kitchen, got the ladle out of the drawer, and offered it to Satoko.

"It's all done.

Have you put the bowls and things out?"

"Yeah.

Everything's a-okay."

"Then let us have our meal.

Rikaa!

It's time for dinner!!"

"...Mi~~~♪!"

I heard Rika-chan's effervescent voice coming from the dining room.

Satoko turned off the gas flame on the stove and lifted up the pot of miso soup.

"Could you bring the rice cooker, Keiichi-san?

Be careful not to flip it over, all right?!"

"Uh, right. I'll be careful..."

I can carry rice cookers just fine without being warned about it...

I thought about replying like that, but I decided not to.

No mean words or witty retorts today.

Rice with steam billowing from it, and miso soup.

As well as a handful of side dishes.

On the table... was a truly firm, family-oriented dinner.

It wasn't weird at all, or extravagant.

It was a daily meal—the sort a housewife would make.

...It was very nonchalant, and brimming with liveliness.

"Then let us eat."

""Thank you for the food!!""

At Satoko's command, Rika-chan and I both thanked her in a loud voice.

"...I made light of you, Satoko.

You've beaten me soundly."

"Oh-ho-ho!

Do you have a better opinion of me now?

I may still not be as good as Rika or Rena-san, but I can cook faaar better than the helpless Keiichi-san!!"

"Yeah, yeah. I know better now."

After I honestly admitted my defeat, Satoko's expression finally softened, and she laughed with her normally loud and cheerful voice.

"Chomp chomp...

...Oh... The rice is cooked really well."

Though she used the rice cooker, it tasted a little different from the rice my mom made—maybe she used a different amount of water for it.

Even so, I could feel Satoko's personality from the rice, which made it taste better than usual.

The miso soup was a little on the thick side, but it was still delicious.

The side dishes, while not exactly flashy, tasted great as well.

It was all so appetizing, and I couldn't stop eating.

"...The side dishes are well done too.

...Satoko, you're not a bad cook at all."

I gave my honest impression, without a hint of sarcasm.

Satoko seemed to have been expecting some, because when I praised her so honestly, she got flustered instead.

"Ho-ho-ho...!

Your praise honors me, but it's nothing so grand.

The side dishes are just things I bought at the store and heated up.

This, and this—all I did was open the can.

I can only really make... rice and miso soup myself."

Satoko said, embarrassed, her face a bit flushed.

...There was none of her normal verbal abuse or sarcasm in there either.

"...I can't make anything except rice and miso soup, but when you get ready-made side dishes and put them on the table too, it turns into something fairly splendid."

"My mom uses ready-made side dishes and canned goods too.

It's nothing to be so embarrassed about.

...This is a fantastic dinner."

I gave her honest praise.

...I've never met Satoko's brother, but Satoshi would probably praise her in the same way.

"...Hm-hmm.

...Well, I suppose it's enough now that you've come to realize that I can hold my own in the kitchen.

Would you like seconds?

There's plenty of miso soup still left."

Huh...?

Did that brat just awkwardly change the subject?

When I realized my response had been on the mark, it made me a little happy.

"...When we eat rice like this, it's fun, like we're eating with Satoshi."

Rika-chan mentioned Satoko's older brother's name again.

...Satoko's chopsticks paused, and she looked up at the ceiling.

"...How nostalgic.

I wonder what he could be doing right now?"

She had a faraway smile, as if yearning for a friend who had moved away.

...From how it looked, I got the impression she hadn't seen Satoshi in quite some time.

...Satoko realized I was giving her a blank stare.

"Ah, I do apologize.

Satoshi is my Nii-nii.

...Er, no!

My older brother."

"Ah... okay.

I see."

Nii-nii must have been a nickname only Satoko used for him.

It was funny to see her hastily deny it.

"I was rather surprised a person with such few living skills had the ability to run away.

Well, I'm sure he'll pack up shop at some point and return out of the blue."

"......So he ran away."

...There was another story to what Satoko had said so cheerfully.

...The reason for Satoshi not living with her was a little serious.

Everyone had been talking about it in such an upbeat way, so I continued to talk about him...

Should I not have broached the subject at all...?

I hastily took a look at Satoko's face after thinking that... but there was no trace of the gloomy expression I'd been worrying about.

"Well, he's not old enough to be dreaming of living on his own.

Nii-nii won't be able to do it for long anyway.

He has no endurance."

"...Satoshi may not look like it, but he's a very persevering person.

He's a lot more persevering than you think."

"Rika, you always take Nii-nii's side right away.

You're a little too nice to him."

"Satoko is just too harsh on Nii-nii.

You should treat him more kindly when he comes back."

Satoko and Rika-chan's views regarding Nii-nii a.k.a. Satoshi were parallel to each other...

But I could easily tell... that both of them really liked him.

They were so optimistic, too... even though he had run away from them, it was like they were going to see him again next week.

Satoko and Rika-chan both liked Satoshi even now... and waited for him, believing he would surely return.

I've never met him...

but I know for sure that this Satoshi person was a really good guy.

I had thought Satoko would be deeply hurt by her brother running away...

But she had already overcome that.

...She was still being the energetic little sister, always full of vim and vigor, as if to say that her brother could come back any time he liked.

I thought that Satoko didn't think through anything, and just frolicked and played practical jokes every day, and that was it.

...But she was really...

...............Yeah.

"......?

Why are you petting my head?"

I roughly rubbed a hand through Satoko's hair.

"I misunderstood you, Satoko.

...I didn't know you were this level-headed."

Satoko seemed to think I was making fun of her, and tried to bat away my hand.

...But then she saw that there wasn't even a trace of malice on my face, and obediently granted me her head.

"Yep.

Satoko's level-headed.

...She sure is."

"I-I've been level-headed from the start.

I was just playing pranks on you because you always do it to me."

There was her usual provocation, but I decided not to buy into it today.

"You're right.

You were just doing it to go along with me.

But you really were so level-headed.

...Good for you."

"...I-Is that actually a compliment?

It kind of... seems like y-you're making fun of me..."

"I'm not trying to make fun of you at all.

I'm seriously complimenting you.

...Because if I was making fun of you, Rika-chan would be petting your head too."

"...T-That's right, isn't it!

When Rika makes fun of people, she usually pets their head!"

"...Meep☆.

These canned sardines are delicious☆."

Rika-chan went nipaa~☆ and her smile became even brighter.

Her attitude was clear as day, but it was annoyingly cute—so both Satoko and I suddenly burst into laughter.

That laughter lightened up the table.

...The table itself is so dull and simple that... I never even thought people could be laughing like this around it.

And then.

I finally came to realize something really obvious.

"...Dinner is better if you're laughing while you're eating, huh?"

"...Of course it is.

Laughing makes it taste better."

"How rude!

The food is good because I'm a good cook, obviously!"

""Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha...!!""

This harmonious moment, this happy circle... It was completely different than spending time with family, but still somehow nostalgic.

"Satoko, do you want to see Nii-nii?"

"I-I didn't say Nii-nii!

Call him my brother, please!!"

Hey, wait, you've been saying Nii-nii this, Nii-nii that this whole time.

...I grinned wryly and decided to just call him "brother" like she told me to.

"Satoko, do you want to see your brother?"

Rika-chan stopped eating, then looked back and forth between my face and Satoko's...

Satoko was smiling—she looked like she was trying to choose her words.

...Just from that, Satoko conveyed her feelings.

Honestly, she wished he would come home right now.

...But she wasn't that weak. Satoshi should just do what he wanted until he was satisfied.

In return, she'd let him have the scolding of his lifetime.

...And then she'd have dinner with him, and lay out his futon for him.

"...Well, of course I want to see him again.

It's been almost a year."

...It's been that long already.

Rika-chan smiled thinly, her eyes appearing to look far away.

"Well, Nii-nii can do what he wants.

It would lighten my load if he came back with more muscles and knowing how to do housework, of course."

"See?

You said Nii-nii again."

"...You said it."

"I-I did not!!

I would never call Nii-nii Nii-nii!!"

Things rapidly returned to the usual, lively atmosphere of lunchtime at school.

But nothing changed about Satoko's feelings towards her brother.

She was living so bravely, and so strongly.

Hey, Satoshi.

...Your sister is trying so hard to watch the place while you're gone, isn't she?

...Give it a rest... and come back soon, got it?

"...Satoko.

It's time to clean up, or else we will get sleepy."

It was when we were all watching TV while enjoying some tea after dinner.

...Rika-chan let out a big yawn and then spoke.

Satoko and I both then looked at the clock and noticed how late it had gotten.

No... Perhaps we both realized it already.

...We just didn't want this warm moment to end.

Maybe we didn't want to say anything.

"Oh, this will not do!

I still haven't washed the dishes yet...!"

"Don't worry about it.

I can do that much, at least.

You made a great dinner, so I can't let you do the dishes too."

"...Are you sure you'll be all right?

When people who are not used to it try and wash them, the soap could make the dishes slip out of their hands, you know."

Geez... She's turned into a perfect nagging little sister.

It was charming, and awkward...

Emotions like that were all mixed up inside me.

I gave her a vague, dry smile.

"...Keiichi can at least wash dishes.

...If you break one and hurt yourself, I'll give you pettings at school tomorrow...

...yaaawwwwnnn..."

Rika-chan yawned again, so wide you could see her molars.

"...Is it really all right...?

Keiichi-san is pretty unreliable, despite how he looks!"

"Gimme a break...

Looks like Keiichi's approval ratings have plummeted in Satoko's mind.

...Don't worry.

I'll clean those dishes up no problem.

So don't worry about it and go home.

...Actually, at this hour, I can't let you two go home by yourselves.

I'll take you there.

Let me find the key for my bike..."

"Once you've taken us home, Keiichi-san will be the one going home by himself!

You'll be in big trouble if you get lost on the roads at night and end up in Takatsudo!

There's no houses or lights out there at all."

...I was trying to worry about them going home, but I didn't think they'd be worried about me getting lost.

...Am I really that unreliable?

She really is being critical, but... yeah.

...This feeling I have—it's not bad.

So I ended up not needing to escort them.

I saw off Satoko and Rika-chan to the gate.

"Thanks a lot for today.

Thanks to you, I got a good, cultural dinner."

"...If Satoko hadn't come, Keiichi would be growling and yowling right now."

"Truly!

It's really good that we came."

They really saved me...

I gave them another bow filled with gratitude.

"Oh, yes.

I put the rice and side dishes into a container, so use that for your bento tomorrow.

And for breakfast, you can eat some bread and jam.

Strawberry jam and peanut butter were in your refrigerator, on the middle shelf to the right.

Cocoa powder, too, was in the upper-right door of the cupboard..."

I know all that, you don't have to go into detail—I was about to say that, but I decided to humbly listen to her.

It was then that I finally realized that Satoko, who had appeared to be in a bad mood, was in fact in a great one, just like Rika-chan had said.

...And that though she nagged a lot, she was very kind.

"...Then good night."

"Make sure to brush your teeth before you go to bed!

You have to do it for at least five minutes!"

"I got it, Satoko.

...I'll brush my teeth and make breakfast for tomorrow.

And I'll be sure not to forget the bento."

"You need to wake up earlier than usual, or you won't be able to get your breakfast or bento ready, got it?

If you like, I can give you a call a little earlier to wake you up instead of using your alarm clock."

"Y-You don't have to go that far.

...I'll set my alarm clock to wake me up a little early.

...Thanks for being so concerned about me."

Satoko looked like she had more fault-finding to do,

but she stopped and, leaving me with a "good night," got on her bike and disappeared down the night-time road.

Rika-chan went to do the same, but then remembered something and came back.

"What's wrong, Rika-chan?

Did you forget something...?"

"...Keiichi, you get one hundred points for today.

Clap clap clap."

Rika-chan suddenly complimented me.

She clapped her small hands.

...What was she on about?

"I-I didn't do anything worthy of praise, did I...?

I nearly burned down the house, after all..."

"...Satoko probably felt like her Nii-nii had come home.

I think she was having a lot of fun."

"......"

"...Once in a while.

I want you to go along with Satoko's scolding in the future."

"Are you telling me to be like an older brother that she can scold... instead of Satoshi?"

Rika-chan didn't say anything—she just smiled and went all nipah~☆.

"...This Satoshi person...

He has such a great little sister, so what was he unhappy about?

...If I were Satoshi, I would never have run away from home."

"...Satoshi had his own circumstances.

...I'm sure."

I didn't know what he was unhappy with.

...But whatever the reason, it was no excuse for abandoning Satoko.

"I hope he comes back soon.

...I probably can't play the role of her actual Nii-nii forever, you know?"

"...It's okay.

You were just like Satoshi today.

Please do it again sometime."

If that's what would make Satoko happy.

...I'd take on this easy role whenever I needed to.

"...Rikaaa~!!!"

Satoko stopped her bike under a distant exterior light and called out to her friend, who wasn't coming no matter how long she waited.

"...Okay, I have to go.

Good night."

"Yeah, night."

"...I can't replace Satoshi, but Keiichi could do it.

...That's one less piece of baggage I need to shoulder."

Leaving me with that, Rika-chan sped off on her bike.

...She rode up next to Satoko... and then the two of them disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Satoshi.

...Seriously, come back soon, got it?

...If you come home really late..."

I'll punch you right in the nose.

...Let's try our best until that day comes, Satoko.

Even if I could no longer hear the sounds of their bicycles.

...I stood there for a while, seeing them off.